1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a female type terminal pin having an electric contact to which a male type terminal pin is connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many electric devices are mounted on a vehicle, and the electric devices are electrically connected to the vehicle or the other electric devices via wiring harnesses. The wiring harness and the electric device are electrically connected to each other when a connector of the wiring harness and a connector of the electric device are connected to each other. The wiring harness transmits the electric power, control signals, and the like.
In such a pair of connectors, one connector includes a male type terminal pin, and a connector housing receiving the male type terminal pin. The male type terminal pin is made by such as folding a conductive metal plate. The male type terminal pin includes a wire connecting part for connecting to an electric wire of the wiring harness and a tab-shaped electric contact part.
The mating connector includes a female type terminal pin and a connector housing receiving the female type connector housing. The female type terminal pin is made by such as folding a conductive metal plate. The female type terminal pin includes a wire connecting part for connecting to an electric wire of the wiring harness and an electric contact part for connecting to the electric contact part of the male type terminal pin.
The electric contact part of the female type terminal pin integrally includes a tube member and an elastic piece. The tube member is formed in a tubular shape, and the electric contact of the male type terminal pin is inserted into an opening at one end of the tube member. The elastic piece is disposed in the tube member and pushes the electric contact part of the male type terminal pin toward an inner wall of the tube member to catch and hold the electric contact part between the elastic piece and the inner wall of the tube member.
In the electric contact part of the female type terminal pin, when the connectors are connected to each other, the electric contact part of the male type terminal pin is inserted into the tube member, and held in the tube member by the elastic piece. Then, both of the electric contact parts are electrically connected to each other, and the male and female type terminal pins are electrically connected to each other.
However, a foreign object larger than the electric contact of the male type terminal pin (for example, a jig for removing the terminal pin from the connector housing) may accidentally be inserted into the tube member. Then, when the foreign object is inserted into the tube, the elastic piece is excessively deformed to be permanently deformed or damaged. Alternatively, a contact surface of the elastic piece or the inner wall of the tube member is damaged to increase contact resistance of the contact surface. Thus, reliability of electric contact between the male and female terminal pins may be reduced.
For solving such a problem, for example, the electric contact part of the female type terminal pin has a projection (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 4). The projection is formed by forming a long outer wall at the one end of the tube member, and then folding once the outer wall toward an inside of the tube member. The projection is projected toward the inside of the tube member to partially cover the opening at the one side of the tube member.
Thus, by partially covering the opening of the tube member with the projection, the foreign object is prevented from accidentally being inserted into the tube member. Further, by folding the projection obliquely such that as the projection extends toward the other end (rear side) of the tube member, the projection gradually approaches a center axis of the tube member, the electric contact part of the male type terminal pin can be smoothly guided into the tube member (for example, see Patent Document 4).    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2003-331964    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Published Patent Application No. H08-321343    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Published Patent Application No. H08-306420    [Patent Document 4] Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2000-36350
However, the projection described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 is formed by folding only once the outer wall at the one side of the tube member toward the inside of the tube member. Therefore, when the foreign object larger than the electric contact of the male type terminal pin is forcibly pushed into the tube member, the projection is deformed toward the inside of the tube member, and the foreign object may be inserted into the tube member.
Then, as described the above, the elastic piece may be excessively deformed to be permanently deformed or damaged. Further, the contact surface of the elastic piece or the inner wall of the tube member may be damaged to increase contact resistance of the contact surface. Thus, reliability of electric contact between the male and female terminal pins may be reduced.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a female type terminal pin to surely prevent a foreign object from being inserted into a tube member, to prevent an electric contact part from being deformed, and to improve electric contact reliability.